Sci-Fi Bulletin: Exploring the Universes of SF, Fantasy, Horror and Spy-fi!

Alongside Bruce, Seabird One stars Yemisi Oyinloye (Emmerdale, Cold Feet) as Dr Louise Rix, a no-nonsense scientific advisor butting heads with Bambera. Trying to keep the peace is Sergeant Jean-Paul Savarin, voiced by Alex Jordan (Everything I Know About Love, Unforgotten).

In a trio of adventures, a supernatural mystery unfolds, technology expands rapidly and in a Green Death-inspired story written by Big Finish newcomer Alison Winter, an experiment to cheat nature goes awry.

The spectacular cast also includes Silas Carson (the voice of Doctor Who’s The Ood) as Dr Winston Grange, Liz Sutherland-Lim (BBC’s The Canterville Ghost) as Dame Lydia Kingsley, and Wilf Scolding (The One, Game of Thrones) as both Roman Krojač and Professor Ian Fenning.

The Cold War is over, the Millennium is fast approaching, and Brigadier Winifred Bambera is the new head of UNIT. But in this shadowy, unpredictable world of deadly threats and hidden enemies, Bambera and her new team – Sergeant Jean-Paul Savarin and Dr Louise Rix – will need to prove their mettle. The stakes are higher than ever. 

The three adventures in this box set are:

Rogue State by Robert Valentine 

In the war-torn republic of Valge Maja, Brigadier Bambera is hot on the trail of arms-dealing terrorist, Roman Krojač, when she’s ordered back to Geneva. Her old sponsor, Dame Lydia Kingsley, offers her a job as the new head of UNIT. Reluctant to accept, she nevertheless teams up with sarcastic UNIT officer Sgt. Jean-Paul Savarin to prevent a monstrous Soviet-era weapon from falling into Krojač’s hands.

Time Flies by Alison Winter 

Bambera and Savarin are summoned to a secretive genetic research facility by Dr Louise Rix, UNIT’s rebellious new scientific adviser. Two scientists have vanished in mysterious circumstances, and despite the assurances of the sinister Dr Grange, UNIT suspects there’s something very wrong with the centre’s caterpillar population. Can they survive the fruits of Dr Grange’s experiments? And will Savarin survive Bambera and Rix’s rocky new relationship?

Dark Side of the Moon by Alfie Shaw 

A new British space station, the Britannia, is due to be launched at the end of the week, but Bambera, Rix and Savarin fear that some kind of psychic entity is trying to sabotage it. Is it really the spirit of Helena McNamara, deceased astronaut and old friend of Rix? And does it speak the truth when it warns that something terrible is waiting for humanity on the dark side of the moon?

Angela Bruce said: “When we start this series, Bambera has been on her own. She’s lost Ancelyn but now she’s got these two young people who are keeping her going. Savarin and Rix actually understand her. They have a great energy and that’s what Bambera needs around her. She realises she needs new blood. Together they make a strong body of people.”

Producer Emily Cook added: “I can’t praise our trio enough. Angela Bruce, Yemisi Oyinloye and Alex Jordan as Bambera, Rix and Savarin make a formidable team. What’s lovely is that throughout the course of these first three stories, these characters grow in strength as they work together – and it was the same watching the actors record in studio. They bonded brilliantly, and I think this really comes across in the final product. I can’t wait for fans to meet Bambera’s new UNIT team!”

UNIT: Brave New World: Seabird One is now available to pre-order for just £19.99 (as a collector’s edition CD + download) or £16.99 (download only), exclusively from the Big Finish website.